


Returning to Sturmhalten

by shavynel



Category: Girl Genius (Webcomic)
Genre: Canon Universe, Gen, Post-Canon, Sturmhalten, Van Rijn's Muses
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-10
Updated: 2018-10-10
Packaged: 2019-07-29 00:32:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,894
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16252964
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shavynel/pseuds/shavynel
Summary: Set after time in Mechanicsburg has been restored, Tarvek finally has a chance to return to Sturmhalten and continue his own work.





	Returning to Sturmhalten

**Author's Note:**

> Written for [Girl Genius Event Week 2018](https://girlgeniusevents.tumblr.com/post/176884410440/girl-genius-event-week)'s Tuesday prompt, **Sturmhalten** / Mechanicsburg / Paris.
> 
> And just a little bit late (by my timezone) because someone in my life has encouraged thinking in parentheticals and footnotes, so ... footnotes. The writing was done before midnight, though!
> 
> Unproof'd and definitely open to critiques, especially on how to properly write Tarvek!speak.

****"You don't even _like_ that place! Why are we going back?"

Tarvek didn't even bother turning away from the window at Violetta's outburst. It was a little late to have this conversation now. Besides, for all her complaints, Violetta had been the one who insisted she come without (earlier) question. If his idiot brain thought it was a good idea to go back to Sturmhalten, she was going with him, so she had argued. Even if she was technically now in the employ of Agatha. Of course, he had _tried_ to get Agatha to stop Violetta, but Agatha had unfortunately consulted with Violetta, who had somehow managed to convince her mistress that he couldn't possibly go back to Sturmhalten without a Smoke Knight watching his back. So here they were now on a coach heading back to his ancestral castle -- a coach which started as a _joke_ from Gil who wouldn't bear the _thought_ of Tarvek returning home in anything less than opulently grand, and then Agatha had gone and modified to have three deathrays hidden into the design (even though Otilia would be riding with them). All told, it was an absolutely ridiculous way to travel. 1

"Because it's home." He didn't bother saying he didn't hate the place. Didn't bother trying to justify the thing he hated was Family, and the citizens were, well, probably revenants, which meant they didn't count as hateable. But he'd fix that. Just as Mechanicsburg was Agatha's, Sturmhalten and all its problems were his. "You didn't have to come along."

"Of course I did," she punched him in the arm. "If you go get yourself killed, who's gonna make me a pretty dress for Agatha's ball?"

Right. Agatha's ball, to announce Mechanicsburg back on the world stage even though it had already been unfrozen for a few weeks now. The ball wasn't planned to be held for a few months yet, and the very idea of it was well under wraps. Besides, the Castle had refused to host a ball until it knew it could zap any speck of dust in any room (or hidden passageway) should it so much as float in the wrong direction. Of course, none of that had stopped anyone who was anyone2 from already knowing about it.

The ball was also when _he_ needed to finish by. His counterclaim to the title of Storm King had solid backing with the Wulfenbach Empire and a Heterodyne behind it, but no one could question his legitimacy if he had Muses backing him as well. It wouldn't matter that Tweedle had public support first.

"You _know_ I've already filled your closet." He had gone back to add a few more items to the automated hidden dress stash only to find that it wasn't quite so hidden anymore. Between a paranoid Smoke Knight and an insatiable Spark mistress, he supposed it was asking for quite a lot to have mechanical secrets remain secrets. In retrospect, he really ought to have made a clank wardrobe assistant who at least would have had the intelligence to keep the hidden stash _hidden_.

" _Yes_ , you even supplied Gil and Agatha, _and_ I know you even snuck a couple things in for Bang and Zeetha too, _and_ with all of the subtle touches of pushing fashion forward, but what happens _after_ that?"

"Agatha's built that fashion clank, didn't she?"

Violetta simply crossed her arms and glared at him from across the coach. Not that he was looking. But he knew she was doing it anyway if only because she didn't say anything more.

By this point, the coach was starting to approach the castle. Through the windows, Tarvek could catch sight of servants scurrying. Of course, he had sent ahead, but only two days prior. Which made him wonder, how much of a state of disrepair had things been allowed to lapse into without anyone around that they were madly scrambling about now? Perhaps he ought to be more surprised about the fact no one made a move on the castle. Perhaps, he mused, that was the point. With Martellus basing his operations from The Refuge of Storms, letting Sturmhalten fall by the wayside would certainly weaken Tarvek's claim. But then, why leave the place open for him to walk back into? There were certainly branches of the family who would be willing to work with the Geisterdamen and the revenants, so that couldn't have been stopping them …

"I also left you a book of sketches," he added. "Even her little clank can't get too far off base if you point out exactly what you want."

"Don't _talk_ like that." She smacked him again, but vanished a second later as the coach came to a stop and a footman opened the door revealing just him. Being back at the castle had clearly triggered her Smoke Knight instincts for all her claims she didn't have any. They both knew the parts they had to play here (even if Tarvek had been desperate to leave Violetta behind).

Tarvek stepped out onto the top of the stairs that had been brought to ease his descent. Around him had gathered a rather large crowd of both the household staff and townsfolk, curious, it seemed, about their prince returning home. The first time they had had a prince in residence since his father had died. Well, he supposed it was his _position_ to say something.

"Thank you for the welcome home," he started, arms spread, knowing it was just for show, but it was a show they all needed. "It's been many years since I was last here, so a festival will commence in two days time!" He stepped down the stairs amidst the cheer, inwardly embarrassed at how clumsy the impromptu announcement had been, but at least his word choice would be lost amongst the chatter leading up to a proper sanctioned _festival._

Or Otilia jumping down menacingly behind him.

The crowd shushed, shrinking back before him, providing him with a wide berth as he stepped down and approached the castle.

"That was _hardly_ necessary," he hissed under his breath, certain she would be able to hear him anyhow.

"But this way, you'll return me to my body sooner."

True. All he wanted to was to shut himself in his lab, but Tarvek made a show of walking royally, letting all the townspeople strain and stretch their neck as much as they pleased before he disappeared through his grand doors. Here, he was greeted with the sight of the household servants, half cowering at the sight of Otilia3 and half awaiting any bizarre instructions he might have. It was like he had never left, like his father was still alive and running the place. He supposed the servants hadn't _had_ any reason to believe he wouldn't carry on in his father's footsteps, even if he had no intention maintaining any charades of being no more than his father's boy. "It's evident you all have questions," he said, without breaking stride (he did, after all, have science to attend to), "Speak up."

They all followed after him as a huddle, but it took half a corridor for them to push forward a sacrifice.

"Master Tarvek, how long will you be staying?" There was a murmur of assent, agreement that that had been a good first question -- _probably_ safe and something they all wanted to know anyway.

"A couple months, I expect." He could hear them shuffling around, the whispers and elbows as they tried to figure out a next question now that they knew it was _possible_ to ask an acceptable question.

"Master Tarvek, would you like to dine first or rest?"

"Don't be ridiculous. My first business is in my lab." He didn't miss as two servants started separating from the group. "Call them back. I don't expect you'd be able to clean up much at this point, and I'd much rather assume none of you had touched anything while I was gone."

"Master Tarvek, _will_ you dine?"

"You may send some food to the lab annex."

"Master Tarvek, a _festival?_ "

At this Tarvek turned, mostly for the dramatics, but regretted it almost immediately, seeing them all close off just a little, drawing back, and probably silently cursing the inquirer. Not that he did anything to ease their fear. "Two days is enough time to put together sufficient festivities. I know more has be asked of you for less." Tarvek turned to continue on his way. "There is a lot to celebrate!"

The crowd of servants didn't follow him any further and didn't ask him exactly _what_ they were celebrating, both points of which were something of a relief. They would have their work cut out for them in preparing the festivities. That would let him work in peace. For a while at least.

Violetta was already in his lab when he arrived, making herself comfortable on the couch with a plate of food she probably had snagged from the kitchen on her way in. Otilia's Van Rijn body had been carefully laid out on a worktable next to her sister's headless body. Beside it, Moxana stood with both her head and Tinka's head, which she cradled, bowed.

It was, he had to admit, a relief that Moxana was still here and the pieces -- both mind and body even if not connected -- of Tinka had not gone missing. He had enough work cut out for him without having to go hunting down missing Muses who had _not_ intentionally lost themselves.

"Hello sisters," Otilia said. The two other Muses swiveled their attention, looking from the body to the quite obviously _not-_ Van Rijn uber-Fun-Sized Mobile Agony and Death Dispenser before them. "Surely you did not let them believe I was _dead_."

Violetta merely shrugged. "I don't understand why you couldn't have someone else carry the body."

Tarvek looked on more than a little slack-jawed, especially when Otilia laughed. The voice was _exactly_ matched to Von Pinn who would _never_ have taken _him_ talking back to her, and yet Violetta had the guts to play a prank at her expense. Mentally, he shook off his surprise, electing instead for a clipped, "Are you implying there was a faster or safer way to get the body here?"

"I'm _implying_ \--" but Violetta got no more out, as Tinka started talking, soft and staticky.

"Ot -- zt -- ia!"

Moxana carefully carried Tinka's head over to the many-toothed clank and the three sisters embraced as well as three could when only one had two arms.

"Best get working, Mad Boy," Violetta opted for instead.

"Last time you get to tell me what to do," he muttered darkly, but nonetheless made his way to the worktable with the slightest smile on his face.

* * *

1 But if no one asked, he wouldn't have to admit he quite enjoyed the comfort of it.

2 Seffie and Colette, for two, annoyingly probably also Martellus if only because Seffie looked out for the moron, and Zola surprisingly had her fingers everywhere so he wouldn't put it past her to know as well.

3 Well, probably at the sight of him _and_ a terrorizing looking clank assumed to have been built by him for the specific purpose of torturing servants who so much as _breathed_ out of line … if he were to be honest with himself.

**Author's Note:**

> Just me, or does this feel like the beginning of something larger?


End file.
